


Remember Me

by linoone



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt/Comfort, Sasha Survives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23021476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linoone/pseuds/linoone
Summary: She survives just barely, but the sight of a stranger taking her place is too much for her heart to take. At least, until her closest friend doesn’t even recognize her face.
Relationships: Sasha James/Tim Stoker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 117





	1. come back to me

**Author's Note:**

> i haven’t written a multi-chapter fic in a very very long time so this will be 3 parts. it will be painful in the start but i do have a happy ending in mind so. that’s fun.

The tall, looming building seemed so familiar and yet so foreign to her, all at the same time. It had been over a month since Sasha had even passed by it. Even being near it brought back all the memories of the tunnels, finding that horrible, sprawling creature by the light of her torch. Its claws, its stretched out, inhuman form; all of it was still vivid in her mind. When she closed her eyes, it all came back in flashes of it tackling her to the ground and digging its claws in.

And then it transformed, leaving Sasha lying on the floor, bleeding and gasping for air. And utterly alone. 

But despite herself, she’d managed to crawl her way out even when she felt like collapsing. Then the next few weeks were spent in the hospital with no visitors. No family either-- that monster had lucked out there-- as she hadn’t seen her former foster family in some time and they wouldn’t have thought to check in on her. The nurses had been kind enough to her, reminding her that it could only get better from there once she healed. They pretended not to hear when she cried at night when it all was just too much.

Sasha let out a dejected sigh, staring up at the Magnus Institute.  _ Am I testing fate? _ That monster was in there somewhere, a poor imitation of her. And it believed it had killed her. It made her shuffle in her place a little uncomfortably, watching the windows cautiously. 

Raindrops began to fall, distracting Sasha from her thoughts for a few blessed seconds. She even chuckled, a little, at the absurdity of it all. Of all the problems on her mind, not having an umbrella was a welcome one. 

The front door swung open and she turned to look, her heart stopping.

_ Tim. _

He looked good, same as always. It was no wonder he was so popular; he was tall, handsome, and though she hated to admit it, the scars left by Jane Prentiss and her worms looked a lot better on him than the few she had, mostly hidden by her sweater. The only thing she found different about him was that the bags under his eyes seemed darker than usual. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him struggling to get his multi-colored umbrella open, but he didn’t notice her watching. 

Until he did.

“Oh, hey!”  _ He remembers me. He knows who I am. Oh god. Oh god. What am I supposed to say? I’m sorry for disappearing for a month? I’m so glad you’re alive and didn’t get eaten by worms? Have you noticed the monster pretending to be me in there? We should make a plan to stop it. You look really good. No, not that. But he does. He really does. _

“You’re going to get wet like that.” Tim jogged over, holding out his umbrella over her while scooting just close enough to be covered too and brush against her arm.

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the physical touch and how good it felt. “Um… thanks.”

“What brings you out here? Not a lot of pretty girls like to come down here.”

Sasha’s eyebrows furrowed together, slight confusion on her face as she drew out her next words slowly. “Just um… waiting for a lift.”

“Ah.”

They stood in silence, listening to the rain.  _ Is he not going to say anything? _ Sasha spared a look at him. He seemed blissfully unaware and… quiet. Too quiet. Whenever they were together, it was never this awkward; they would talk and laugh and joke. 

“What’s your name?”

Oh.

It felt like the claws were digging in all over again and she felt all the color leave her face. When she finally spoke, her throat felt like it was going to close up. 

“S-Sasha.”

Tim’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s the name of my coworker! Small world, I guess.”

Choked up, Sasha nodded. “Must be.”

It went quiet again, leaving Sasha to try and stifle the tears she felt welling up or the pain in her throat. The sound of the rain helped, at least a little. 

“Don’t tell anyone about this, but I’ve been thinking about asking her out for ages. I just… I don’t want to make it weird.” 

It took everything in her not to break down right there, but her breaths were shaky. “Ah.”

“She’s been kinda different lately though. We used to hang out all the time.”

_ I remember. _ At least it wasn’t a perfect imitation of her. She didn’t know if her heart could take it if she imagined him having movie nights or going out to lunch with that… not-Sasha. She straightened up a little, smoothing her sweater down.

“Sounds like she’s not interested.” She managed eventually.

“You think?” Tim glanced towards her. 

He looked hurt. She wanted to tell him that she-- the real Sasha-- would always have time for him. That she’d never distance herself from him, even though now she had no choice. So she shrugged. 

The silence lasted a few moments longer as the rain picked up. Sasha shuffled in her spot, staring at her shoes rather than his soft, sad expression. She didn’t have a ride coming and she hadn’t seen a taxi go by, making it even more awkward. Lying had never been her strong suit.

“Hey, I’m off work for the day, do you want me to just drive you home?” Tim turned to her, his hand moving to her arm. “I’m not an axe murderer, I swear.”

She managed a smile at that. “I know.”

He grinned in that charming way he always did, holding out his arm for her to take. “Shall we?”

She took his arm lightly as he led her down the pavement to the car. Maybe I’m dreaming. Sasha thought, letting her eyes drift close, trying to remember all the times they had done this before and trying to forget that he didn’t remember it at all.


	2. in the bed i made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasha and Tim get along famously, as they always did, but the guilt eats away at her knowing that she can't tell him who she really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ve been listening to hadestown for inspo because i think tim and sasha have that orpheus eurydice dynamic. i also think patrick page would be a good elias fancast but that’s just me
> 
> other sad but too fitting songs include remember me from coco, happy accidents by saint motel and thin air, stay, and when the booth goes bright from amelie the musical
> 
> gratuitous time skips ahoy

They couldn’t go back to her flat. As far as she knew, that creature was staying there, sleeping in her bed, eating her food, wearing her clothes. She’d taken what money she could to rent a room at a hostel for travelers for the time being. It wouldn’t last for too long, until she got a new job at least, but it would do for now. Until she managed to get her life back in order knowing that she couldn’t be Sasha James anymore.

Sasha sat in Tim’s passenger seat, twisting in discomfort. It helped not to focus on his face and he seemed too focused on the road and seeing through the now pouring rain for him to notice. It probably made sense for it to be awkward for him, knowing that this was a stranger he was giving a ride to. But for her, it couldn’t be more painful. 

“Mind if I put on some music?” Tim spoke eventually, his face tilting slightly towards hers for a few seconds.

“Sure.”

“Any requests?”

Sasha shrugged, her body still curling in on itself. She probably knew his entire playlist by heart; it didn’t matter what song he chose.

“Shuffle it is then.” He reached to turn the volume up, just low enough that they could still talk. She wouldn’t, but it was a nice thought.

The song that did come on was one very familiar to her, given how many times she’d heard Tim play it in the car, play it too loudly on his headphones at work, and the occasional humming rendition. It even made her crack a tiny smile seeing how he was already bobbing his head to it.

“Is that a smile?” 

_ Shit, he noticed. _ “Maybe.”

“Will miracles never cease?”

That actually made her chuckle, making his smile grow even more. She missed that. 

They pulled into the old brick hostel and the rain seemed to die down to a quiet, comfortable drip. Sasha pursed her lips, keeping her face straight ahead. He was looking at her, she could feel it.

“I um… I don’t need your umbrella so… good night… Tim.”

“How’d you know my name?”

_ Fuck _ . “Nametag.”

“I’m not wearing a nametag.” He almost laughed at that.

“Well, you look like a Tim.” Her gaze still stubbornly avoided his, moving for the car door handle. 

Tim glanced over at her, raising his eyebrows. “Ok, ok, I get it. You didn’t want to tell me that you’re secretly a psychic. It’s a rare gift, you should keep it a secret. But I’m still gonna walk you to the door like a gentleman. “

She managed a weak smile. “You should really be more careful who you trust.”

“Nah.”

They got out of the car and he was quick to her side with that brightly colored umbrella once more. She kept her arms folded tightly, just to avoid brushing up against him on accident. Fumbling with her key, she turned back to him when she got to the front door. 

“Well… see you. I guess.”

“I guess.”

Sasha took a shaky breath and turned to the door.

“Wait.”

Oh no. 

She turned and watched him fumble through his jacket pockets for a scrap piece of paper and a pen. He took a few minutes to scribble before handing it to her.

“Call me.”

Sasha took it and for once, her smile felt genuine. 

* * *

It didn’t take her too long to find another job. One of the libraries she had once frequented when trying to research and follow up on statements for Jon was thrilled to find someone with an archival science degree and had plenty that needed archiving. Nothing as interesting as statements of the supernatural, but it was… calming in a way. She liked knowing that she could file and digitize documents without worrying about what was lurking or crawling beneath her. Her coworkers were nice, but her mind still drifted to Jon, Martin, and, of course, Tim. 

Most of her nights involved staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep, with her mind drifting to them whenever it could. Above all, she hoped that they were safe especially knowing that there was a monster in their midst and she didn’t know what it would do to them. 

It wasn’t until two weeks after their accidental run-in that Sasha finally called Tim. It was her lunch break as she sat in the back of the library archives with a sad looking sandwich and if she knew him as well as she thought she did, he was probably taking his too.

“What are you wearing?”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “Do you answer all your phone calls like that?”

“I had a feeling it was you. You aren’t the only one with psychic abilities.”

She looked down at her sandwich and gave a sigh. “A sweatshirt. And some jeans.”

“What?”

“That’s what I’m wearing.”

“ _ Wow _ . Is it hot in here or is it just me?”

“Shut up.”

“You wound me, Miss Sasha.”

Sasha felt the urge to roll her eyes return again. It felt nice though. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine him sitting across from her with his own lunch, chatting like they used to. It was much lonelier without him there.

“What are you doing right now?” She managed, prodding at her lunch boredly. 

“Oh, how the tables--”

“I’m serious.” She cut him off, leaning her head on her palm. “I’m on my lunch break.”

“What a coincidence, so am I.” _ That’s what I thought.  _

“There’s a nice cafe in between us. We could meet in the middle.”

There was an exaggerated gasp on the other side. “Are you asking me out, Miss Sasha?”

“Maybe.”

“It’s a date then."

Sasha smiled to herself, rolling her lunch back up. He was still on the line and if she strained herself to listen, she could hear a bit of Jon and Martin and someone else talking in the background. 

“Who is that?” An unfamiliar female voice came from the other side, making Sasha furrow her eyebrows in confusion. 

“Oh, uh just… another girl named Sasha. Not-Sasha, I guess.” Tim replied.

Sasha froze in place as the female voice laughed, a haughty laugh that sounded nothing like her own and barely seemed human at all. That was the monster. That knew she existed. And that was why she should have stayed far away from the Institute and everyone in it. 

“Sasha? Are you still there?”

“...Y-yeah. See you there. I’ll text you the address.”

She hung up without waiting for him to respond, quickly sending the address. For a moment, she couldn’t move. God, what was she doing?

Tim was already there when she arrived, though she had a feeling that he would have gotten a headstart with the time she wasted panicking in the archives and then panicking on the bus and again more panicking while she stood outside deciding whether she had the guts to go in. He smiled and waved which she returned weakly.

“You really didn’t do the sweatshirt and jeans justice over the phone.”

“I tried.” She took a seat, twiddling her fingers. 

This time he seemed to pick up on her nervousness and leaned back. “What are you getting?”

“Tea. Probably.” It was her usual from here.

“Hm. You should use your psychic gift and tell me what my usual is.” Tim raised his eyebrows.

That was too easy. “I’m guessing something sugary.” She knew his order by heart after countless coffee runs, but she could pretend for his sake. 

“You’re good.”

Once they had their drinks, Sasha felt her memories come flooding back. Memories of taking way too long lunch breaks because they had been too busy talking and having to come back with apology pastries for Jon that he would begrudgingly accept. Sometimes Martin was there too, at least when they could tug him away from his puppy love crush on their boss. 

She tried to enjoy it while she could, but something ate away at her. That this was all just a pale imitation of what they’d once had. Was she lying to him by not telling him that she was the same Sasha he’d known? She couldn’t tell him, of course, he’d think she was out of her mind. So far he was the only connection he had to her old life and she wouldn’t dream of severing it. So she kept her mouth shut.

“I think I should probably get back to work now. My boss is kind of an asshole, I don’t want to piss him off.” Tim rubbed the back of his neck, looking like he didn’t very much want to go back. 

“I know the type.” Sasha returned a wry smile.

He walked her to the bus stop, standing close enough that she could smell his cologne. It was a comfortable silence, nothing like the pain-staking one from the night outside the Institute. Her eyes remained trained on the road, waiting patiently for the bus that would soon be arriving. 

When she turned, his eyes were on her. She didn’t recognize the look in them. Maybe it was one of those yearning looks she’d always read about but had never really gotten. It threw her off.

“Can I kiss you?”

Sasha felt her entire face go red all the way to the tips of her ears.  _ Is he joking? _ It didn’t look like he was, his eyes honest and his posture unsure of himself. That was a rare sight, even for her. For once, it was him that she didn’t recognize. The Tim that came out of the Prentiss attack was not the same Tim that spent his time flirting with police officers and records clerks to get information, that much she knew. As sad as it made her, it was a small comfort.

“Why?” Her voice came out breathier than she intended.

His expression turned  _ bashful  _ of all things. “I guess I feel a connection. I don’t exactly have a lot of that right now, if I’m honest.”

Oh. “Neither do I.”

She felt his hand on her waist, tentative, at least until she stepped closer. His free hand cupped her cheek tenderly, stroking his thumb back and forth before he finally closed the gap in between him. His lips were soft and though his coffee breath was far from pleasant, she didn’t pull away, only gripping the front of his shirt with a grip just tight enough to make sure he didn’t vanish in a puff of smoke.

The bus came and went. Neither of them noticed.

* * *

Sasha had, in fact, been to Tim’s flat quite a few times, as a friend. His couch had always been very accommodating for their movie nights and his walls had always been filled with pictures of him from the vacations he’d taken out in the mountains with a kayak or mountain-climbing gear. There were a few of him when he was a bit younger with a much floppier haircut that covered part of his eyes with another man who looked quite a bit like him. He’d never talked about having siblings, so she assumed it was just a coincidence and never brought it up. She’d even slept in his bed while he, ever the gentleman, took the couch. Or the floor, in his stupid thermal sleeping bag he always bragged about. They’d end up staying late talking anyway.

However, she’d never been in his flat as… something more than a friend. And as the weeks went on, she found herself spending more and more time with him than alone in her hostel room where they seemed anxious for her to leave. Sometimes they’d kiss. Sometimes they’d do more. But more than often, they’d just lay in bed and talk. Sasha liked that.

“You were right.” Tim broke one of their more comfortable silences, lying strewn out horizontally across the bed in her lap while she chewed on her pen, scanning the crossword in hand.

“About what?” Sasha replied, tapping the pen against her cheek.

“Work Sasha. She has a boyfriend now.”

Did shapeshifter monsters need boyfriends now? She tried to look surprised.

“Hm.”

“I’m over it. Obviously.” The smile he gave her to reassure her didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“ _ Obviously _ .” She rolled her eyes, dropping one of her hands to absentmindedly stroke his hair.

The silence lasted for a few moments, the only sounds filling the air being the scribbling of her pen and the ruffle of his hair. 

“I only found out because my boss has been a real creep lately. I think he’s been following me because he thinks I’m a murderer or something.”

That… didn’t sound like the Jon that Sasha remembered. He was always too no-nonsense for that kind of thing. “... Are you… a murderer?”

“That was literally one of the first things I told you I  _ wasn’t _ .”

“I know.” Sasha managed a weak smile, pushing back his hair from his forehead.

She planted a kiss there at the top that seemed to relax him a little. The tension he held wound up so tightly in his shoulders slowly began to slip away. Things were… bad. That much she knew. But at least she could be something of a distraction for him. 

* * *

They were kissing in bed. Well, a little more than that, if the hand creeping up under the edge of her loose t-shirt and pushing it up was any indication. When the kissing slowed and Tim seemed more intent on running his fingers along her stomach, she started to get a little suspicious. 

“Where’d you get these scars?” He murmured, eyes half-lidded.

“Where’d you get  _ your _ scars?”

“Touché.“

“Do you _ really _ want to know?”

His eyes tilted up to her. “Uh… yeah.”

“Tiger attack. Barely made it out with my life.”

They both laughed and forgot that they’d even brought it up. 

Once he fell asleep that night, Sasha stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours.  _ Am I a liar? Does this make me a bad person?  _ Her eyes flickered towards his sleeping form in the dark, trying not to shrink away when her nightmares turned what should have been a comforting sight into the twisted, elongated form of the creature that took her place.

Maybe she deserved that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can imagine tim was listening to whatever you want in the car. i personally hc him as being a fan of carly rae jepsen so he could very well be listening to cut to the feeling or smth.
> 
> i feel like i might be writing tim as too dumb. i know he's very smart. it's just very hard to convey that when the premise is that a very big chunk of information can not be shared under any circumstances and i apologize that i had to sacrifice smarty pants tim for this..... maybe in another fic i can redeem myself


	3. it's you. it's me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everything comes to a head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well here we are the not very good conclusion. well i tried. may write some more one shots bc i'm in timsasha hell

As the months passed, Sasha could tell that things were getting worse at the Institute. Every night, Tim came back looking more drained than the day before. Prying wouldn’t do any good and she didn’t want to talk too much about it in case she seemed too suspiciously knowledgeable. From what he had told her, it sounded like Jon had gone off the rails. When she’d asked him why he didn’t quit-- she never really knew why a guy like him wanted to stay in a dusty old building in the first place-- he said he couldn’t. She didn’t ask what he meant, but she had an idea why.

She’d been laying out on his couch, wearing one of his old t-shirts and a pair of her own shorts, desperately trying to stay cool in the hot summer air. Her eyes strayed to the clock on the wall. He was usually home by now, but he was already more than an hour late. Did something happen to him? Did that Not-Sasha find him?

She got her answer when he slammed the door open hours later, eyes wild. 

“He fucking did it. I knew he was going to do it, and he fucking  _ did  _ it.” He growled.

“ _ Who?  _ A-and what?”

“ _ Jon!  _ I knew he was fucked up, I told Elias that he was a danger to everyone else a-and then he goes and  _ kills  _ someone!”

_ Jon?  _ That didn’t sound like the Jon she remembered. He could barely kill a spider without having to yell for one of them to help. “Your coworker… killed someone?”

“We found a-a body in his office. Head bashed in. And Sasha’s gone now too so maybe he went and killed her too!” Tim threw up his hands in angry disbelief, storming to the kitchen sink to throw some water on his face.

The other Sasha was gone?  _ Gone  _ gone? Sasha couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of relief as her shoulders dropped. Although, much like a spider, while seeing one can be scary, suddenly  _ not  _ seeing one is even scarier. Maybe the impostor was still lurking around. But at least it had probably left her flat.

She moved to Tim’s side, her hands gently massaging his broad shoulders. It was faint, but she could feel him shaking. They stood there a long time with him hunched over the sink, clenching onto it tightly while she rubbed his back.

* * *

The months to follow weren’t easy. Jon had disappeared. Police couldn’t find him and they hadn’t found the other Sasha either. But if Jon  _ had  _ killed her, it would be safe for the real Sasha to come back to the Archives. Maybe one of them would recognize her. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.

Her flat however, seemed like it was safe once more. 

The impostor seemed to take the key with it, but it hadn’t noticed the one underneath the planter outside that both Tim and Jon had told her was a bad idea given it would be the first place a burglar would look. Well, that was what she was now and she didn’t care much. Picking the key up, she didn’t so much as glance around to make sure no one was watching before pushing her way in. 

It was… the same mostly. The creature had the decency not to move around her furniture and even the photos on the walls were in the same place. Like a time capsule from before everything went to shit. It was even tidier than she’d left it, with the stack of mugs that had lined the counters washed and put away and her afghan folded and neatly stacked on top of her couch. The smell of take out that she thought would never go away seemed to have vanished, replaced by a faint hint of vanilla from an air freshener sitting on the windowsill. 

Sasha’s curiosity led her to the kitchen. What did it even eat? She opened the refrigerator and found her answer. Nothing. The cupboards were empty too. 

“Boring.” She raised an eyebrow, turning to the framed photos on the wall. 

They were of her once, but it wasn’t her in the frame. The impostor stood in her place, giving Sasha the first real look as to what it actually looked like. Tim had said once or twice that she was very fashionable, which hardly resembled Sasha’s own wardrobe of sweaters and worn jeans, but the woman in the photographs looked like she had just stepped off a runway with how impeccably she was dressed. Her face was sharp, her hair cut dramatically. 

It almost made her laugh if it didn’t make her so sad. Even when she squinted, she couldn’t remember what the originals looked like. A stranger in her own memories. After a moment or two of scrutinizing the photographs on the wall, she had to turn away, feeling her vision blur and the beginnings of a headache. 

With begrudging steps, Sasha pushed the door open to her bedroom, seeing the familiar sight of her bed and the hand-stitched quilt and the few stuffed animals she usually kept hidden from sight propped up for all to see. It hadn’t looked like it had been slept in for some time, given how neatly it was made. Monsters probably didn’t sleep, but Sasha wrinkled her nose anyway at the thought of the impostor sleeping with her supposed boyfriend in it. If that boyfriend even existed in the first place. 

Instincts took over and she flopped on the bed like she had just come home from a long commute and a long day at work. Her eyes remained fixed on the same holes and cracks on the ceiling she used to stare at until she fell asleep. 

And then she began to cry. 

It overcame her almost as soon as she sank into the mattress, bubbling up over the surface where she had managed to keep it pushed down as long as she could.  _ It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re home now. _ She told herself over and over in her head as the tears spilled out down her cheeks. She hugged herself, curling in until the crying slowed to a hiccup.

Her blurred over eyes fell on the mirror propped against the wall. Someone had covered it with a spare sheet, but in the corner that was uncovered, Sasha could see a peek of herself. With apprehension, she stepped closer, pulling the sheet off in one quick swoop.

_ It’s me. _ Sasha stared at her reflection, plain as ever, but it was hers. That much she knew as she continued to stare. How long had it been since she’d looked at herself? Was she afraid it would be someone else looking back? A quiet sigh left her lips as she lifted the edges of her shirt, staring at the long claw like scars that had mostly healed in the months since. Her hair had always been long, but now that she saw herself, she could see it almost reached her backside and was long overdue for a trim.

_ But it’s still me. _

Relief washed over her tired eyes. It was still her looking back. That creature never had that comfort. 

Her gaze drifted to the slightly ajar bathroom door. Maybe it would be good to get that trim out of the way. 

When she was finished cutting, her hair fell just above her shoulders, lifting a weight off them with it. Only then did she manage a real smile.

Tim seemed surprised when she came home with it, but he didn’t say anything. She caught the ghost of a smile when he played with the much shorter locks though. They were getting rarer and rarer these days. 

* * *

They were lying in bed, Tim’s face resting in her neck-- his new favorite place now that he could do it without accidentally suffocating on her hair. She’d thought he was asleep and was almost drifting off herself before she heard him murmur. 

“If I disappeared and got replaced by something else, do you think you would notice?”

Her breath caught in her throat, though hopefully not noticeable. “Um… yeah. Why?”

“Just thinking.” He lied. She knew he was lying.

She had to tell him.

* * *

_ I can’t tell him. He’s never going to believe me. He’s going to hate me. _

Sasha stared at her reflection in the windows in some sad attempt to steel herself for what was to come. She hadn’t returned to the Magnus Institute since that rainy night and standing outside of it now gave her a sense of uneasiness she couldn’t shake. Tim was inside. She had to tell him. God, she felt sick.

Forcing herself to walk inside, she followed the path she’d taken to work several times before, not saying anything to Rosie at the receptionist’s desk. If she did, she might lose her courage. 

She could hear arguing coming from inside.  _ It’s a bad time. I should leave. _ Despite that, her feet didn’t move.  _ Be brave. _

Sasha pushed her way into the Archives, doors slamming on either side of her. “Tim, I need to tell you--”

“Sasha?” She turned at the interruption. to see Melanie King staring at her wide-eyed.

_ “Melanie?  _ How did you-- _ ” _

_ “Sasha?” _ A much more incredulous one came from Jon this time, who had gone so pale it looked like he had seen a ghost though it was close.

“Jon? I thought you were _ missing. _ ” He didn’t have a response for that, only stuttering confusion.

“What the hell is going on?”

Sasha turned to see Tim standing amidst the boxes of files, eyes filled with just as much confusion as the others, mixed with hurt. Her eyes softened, forcing her to swallow the lump growing in her throat before she could speak.

“ _ That’s _ Sasha.” Melanie interjected.

“I know it’s Sasha. I thought I told you my girlfriend’s name is Sasha too.” God, his voice sounded so tired.

Taking a shuddering breath, she took a few steps over the stacks of boxes and books to stand in front of him, taking both of his hands in hers. He tensed and she felt a pang of guilt.  _ Breathe. Just breathe. _

“What she means… is that I’m Sasha James. I’m the same one you worked with for years. I’m the same one that was your best friend. I’m the one that monster replaced.” 

He shook his head, eyes trained on his feet instead of on her face. “That’s not funny. That’s  _ really  _ not funny.”

“I’m telling the truth, Tim.” She took a deep breath, squeezing his hands. “On the day Prentiss attacked, I knocked you out of the way when the worms were coming. I-I made it out and Elias and I went into the tunnels to turn on the fire suppression system. We got separated and I found that creature. It hurt me and I think it thought it killed me.”

Sasha rolled up her sleeve to show the scars climbing up her arm. He turned away, refusing to look at them.

“I can’t believe you. You know that, right?” He murmured, struggling to get the words out. “How do I know you aren’t just another monster trying to trick me?”

It hurt, but she swallowed it down. “I understand.”

The silence grew painful once again and she could feel Melanie and Jon’s eyes on her. She didn’t know how they knew it was her, but it didn’t matter. Tim didn’t believe her. And now he would never talk to her again.

“Can I kiss you?” She murmured, voice soft.

He didn’t respond for a long time. That was all the answer she needed, letting go of his hands. 

“Yeah.”

Sasha glanced up at him, taking his face gently. Her thumb brushed over his cheek, rubbing circles before she stood on the tips of her toes to bring his lips to hers. It was quiet, slow. She wanted to cherish it, given it would probably be the last time she ever got a chance to do it. 

But then something must have clicked in his head. His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. His kisses grew more desperate until they both pulled away. His eyes met hers, widening with some kind of realization. 

“It’s you.” He whispered.

“It’s me.” She breathed.

Tim pulled her into a hug and she felt like she could just melt then and there. They had hugged before plenty of times, but this one felt like home. And she felt free. She glanced around at Melanie and Jon who seemed to awkwardly watch.

“You guys better join in and hug me right now.” Sasha murmured, finding tears starting to well up again.

They obliged, albeit awkwardly. The door opened, Martin following in with a tray of steaming teas and coffees. He nearly dropped it when he saw them. 

“Are we hugging? What’s the occasion?”

“Hi, Martin.” Sasha managed, feeling squeezed tight.

“Sasha!” She let out a quiet  _ oof  _ as he joined in.

They all stood there for some time before reluctantly pulling away. It was in the middle of a work day, after all, and Sasha felt a little awkward for intruding. She pursed her lips, glancing back at Tim who seemed like he might cry. 

“I should go back home. I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’m coming with you, just give me a second.”

Sasha nodded, walking to the hallway. Jon managed to slip out the door before it closed, grabbing her in a hug too. Maybe she wasn’t the only one replaced by someone else. Tentatively, she returned it.

“How did you know it was me?”

“I found the tapes. Sasha, I’m… I’m so sorry. You must have been so scared down there.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m glad you aren’t dead either.”

Jon pulled away, giving a faint chuckle. “Yes, well… it’s good to see you again. It’s been hard without you here.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t get sappy on me now.”

He even smiled a little in return. “I… I won’t.”

With that, Sasha left the Magnus Institute with a feeling that everything would be alright.

* * *

Elias sat back in his office, eyes closed as he carefully watched the commotion downstairs. Maybe he was getting soft, restoring their memories back the way they were. If anyone had seen him do it, they would likely comment on the strange act of compassion. But he had his reasons.

So the real Sasha James had survived her encounter with the Not Them after all and had managed to keep her wits about her too. Close to none could claim that. Maybe there would be room for her back on his chessboard once more and he would have another pawn to send against the Unknowing. And perhaps someone would manage to get the filing system back on track again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> elias letting them have a true love’s kiss fix everything is probably out of character but this is about wish fulfilment so who cares


End file.
